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Professionalism and social networking: can patients, physicians, nurses, and supervisors all be "friends?"
Faculty of Business - Papers (Archive)
  • Joy Peluchette, University of Wollongong
  • Katherine Karl, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
  • Alberto Coustasse, Marshall University
  • Dennis Emmett, Marshall University
RIS ID
73111
Publication Date
1-1-2012
Publication Details

Peluchette, J., Karl, K., Coustasse, A. & Emmett, D. (2012). Professionalism and social networking: can patients, physicians, nurses, and supervisors all be "friends?". The Health Care Manager, 31 (4), 285-294.

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the use of social networking (Facebook) among nurse anesthetists. We examined whether they would have concerns about their supervisor, patients, or physicians seeing their Facebook profile. We also examined their attitudes related to maintaining professional boundaries with regard to the initiation or receipt of Facebook "friend" requests from their supervisor, patients, or physicians they work with. Our respondents consisted of 103 nurses currently enrolled in a graduate-level nurse anesthetist program. All respondents had a minimum of 2 years of work experience in critical care nursing. Most respondents were found to be neutral about physicians and supervisors viewing their Facebook profiles but expressed concerns about patients seeing such information. A vast majority indicated they would accept a friend request from their supervisor and a physician but not a patient. Surprisingly, about 40% had initiated a friend request to their supervisor or physician they work with. Implications for health care managers are discussed.

Disciplines
Citation Information
Joy Peluchette, Katherine Karl, Alberto Coustasse and Dennis Emmett. "Professionalism and social networking: can patients, physicians, nurses, and supervisors all be "friends?"" (2012)
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/alberto_coustasse/2/